Thursday, October 30, 2014

We have 45 sugar skulls. We have new seat covers. We have a baldric, a scabbard, and sword, a May Chang dress, britches, and a waistcoat. We have... a lot more to do before Halloween! It's kind of scary, actually. As for celebrating Dia De Los Muertos,which I feebly tried to rationalize... I offer this amusing example of how impossible it is to satisfy everyone's holiday-religious-non-denomenational sensibilities: From The New Yorker, "Dear Mountain Room Parents."

As for us, I say cheers for the foolhardy, the creative types, the makers and DIY diehards! It's all hands on deck and full STEAM ahead, with joyous abandon! We shall prevail.

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

The gnomes I made last September have been hibernating in a box. Not quite forgotten, but definitely undisturbed. When I saw a tabletop greenhouse at Ikea I couldn't resist adding it to our cart, because I knew it was an ideal spot to bring out our gnomes. With some moss, foam for filling in most of the base, and two live ferns, we were ready to build a garden home. The ferns are in their pots, and lots of moss makes the whole scene look lush and full. We dotted the garden with our paper clay mushrooms, which are built on sewing pins, so they can stick into the foam. Then, the gnomes moved in. They seem quite happy. We put them on the shelf at the bottom of the stairs.

I made a mailbox, too. It began as a miniature dog house (Michael's craft store) and I added a post and base, painted it our Beloved Blue, and gave it a painted address on the front. Those were my first mitered cuts! I was positively glowing with the success, when Maria declared that we would need a Little Free Library, too. Right she was, so we modified one more dog house, and now our new Little Free Library is open for sharing! Katherine, and her bookcase home are upstairs, but the gnomes keep the mailbox and library beside their garden. Deer have begun to gather there, too. And the smiling lady I made in 7th grade. Oh! And one more visitor frequents the spot! Mister Foo!

Monday, October 27, 2014

That was a good weekend. Between cleaning streaks, many errands, and loads of laundry, I got to play quite a bit. Alex and Max are nearly finished painting the barn. It's Barn Red, almost. Don't ask me how I know, but it seems like when you get to the last details of painting everything takes more time, and gets harder, to the point where it *ahem* can drag on for quite some time. Yeah, but please, don't ask me how I know this. William has been battling the elements and materials to find a way to finish his scabbard, and last night, almost near another catastrophe, he hit upon a solution, and is probably only hours away from having a finished sword and scabbard. Plus! We finished the 18th century waistcoat! I can hardly describe the relief. Fourteen buttons, loads of hand sewing, and just all the customizing and troubleshooting. Totally worthwhile, I admit. I cannot wait to share pictures! He looks amazing in it. Geoff is finishing the wood recovery and leak issues of the deck, and that is probably tedious/frustrating work, but he took time out to do some fun and creative tinkering when Paul MPaul the Bearded One came over... it was great seeing them put their heads together over a welding project. {Random facts... We know a lot of Paul's, and I just realized we know two Paul M's.} I cleared the rose bed, and put in some flowers, started a scarf, made a friday dinner that fed us all weekend, and started another mushroom housing development. Also, I am in the middle of creating Maria's Halloween costume... yes, there is a pattern, but it's too small, and bears very little resemblance to the desired result... May Chang. Once again, I am altering and modifying, and bewildered. Fortunately, Master Foo, muse and amuser, is on hand to lend a paw. There was so much more... sewing lessons, Zombie shows, homework. Now, here we are, Monday, again. And still more to get done, but I have this pleasant feeling, this lovely impression that it really was a good weekend.

Good Things...

1. Last week we enjoyed Animal Misfits. And this week we were engrossed in a new Nature episode, A Murder of Crows! After chickens, these brilliant birds may be my favorites.

3. Cool nights. After weeks and weeks of enduring heat, complaining about unseasonal weather, we have weather I can embrace. I love it.

4. New pants for Max! At last I've found pants that Max feels comfortable wearing. This has been a two year quest, and it made me so happy to see the look of relief and pleasure he wore when he tried them on and found these comfortable, good looking pants fit his needs.

5. We are going to watch Meet Me In St Louis next Saturday night. This represents all kinds of goodness... it may rain on Saturday, it may be cold, Tootie Smith is a hoot, and watching this family favorite is one of the many annual holiday traditions we enjoy. I'm so excited about these prospects.

Halloween is nearly here. Oh, gosh. We are looking forward to all the friends and fun coming with that day. But there's so much to do! Are you ready? Ready for the new week, ready for next weekend? Anything good you'd like to share? Happy Monday, friends.

Followers

Chirp-Chirp-Chirp BirdHouse Notes

If I managed to get a cold, the first weekend in fall, don't you agree that I will be healthy and carefree all through the holidays? I am happy to accept those conditions of being congested and achey, now. Whah.

September 26, 2017

10:25 am

The new shelters for the goats and chickens are beautiful. I love that I know my critters well enough to design a safe and practical structure, and better yet... that Geoff has the skill and patience to build them, even better than I imagined them. It is reassuring and gratifying to go into the new season with this fresh start. We're ready... for rain, for wind, for another year with our dear chickens and goats.